The present invention relates generally to the field of electrical connectors, and more particularly to a plug-in-system capable of carrying high voltage and current loads.
A wide range of electrical connection systems have been developed and are currently in use. For applications that simply convey low voltage and current, or data, simple plug systems are available. For higher voltage and current applications, such as in industrial power electronic systems, sizable conductors are required that need to interface in high efficient manners to convey the desired power between connection points. In industrial contexts, for example, electrical enclosures may be designed with power bus bars carrying three-phase power, such as in a backplane of an electrical cabinet. Devices may be connected to the bus bars by means of stabs which elastically envelope the bus bars to complete the connections. In other contexts, bus bars are designed to interface by bolted or other connections, with quite sizable connectors or direct contact between bus bars routing power to and from power electronic components, such as motor drives, switchgear, circuit protective components, and so forth.
Larger and higher powered connections are particularly difficult insomuch as some flexibility is often desired for removal of components for servicing, while maintaining excellent current carrying capability during normal operation. In certain contexts, conductive wire braids and other flexible structures have been employed for this purpose. In some contexts, however, hard connections are preferred in which AC power bus components are screwed to one another and ultimately to conductors used to route power to or from power electronic devices and switchgear. Where components are intended to be removed from time to time, such as for replacement or servicing, the problems are exacerbated by the need to properly align the bus bar components, despite slight variations in the level or position of the components in the electrical cabinet. Such misalignment is often inevitable, and current designs for power conductors in such environments are unable to accommodate such misalignment while maintaining good connections during operation.
There is a need, therefore, for further improvement in electrical connections designed for high voltage and high current applications. There is a particular need for a design that will allow for some misalignment between bus components and that allows easy withdrawal of one conductor from another, particularly in three-phase applications.